1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to security alarm systems, including residential and commercial security alarm systems, as well as other types of security systems designed to safeguard property, people and the public at large against potential emergencies including acts of terrorism. More particularly, the present invention involves enhancing security alarm systems through the use of realtime video or, more generally, realtime image information.
2. Background Information
Security alarm systems are widely used to protect property as well as personal safety. Typically, these systems do so by generating an alarm in response to any number of events, such as unauthorized entry, fire, a medical emergency or manual alarm activation. Some systems provide a service which remotely monitors the status of the security alarm system. Thus, if the security alarm system generates an alarm, an alarm notification signal is transmitted via a hardwire and/or wireless communications link to a central station. Upon receiving the alarm notification signal, security service personnel at the central station may attempt to contact the client (i.e., the party at the secured location) to verify the alarm. If it is appropriate to do so, the security service personnel may, upon confirmation of the alarm, contact an emergency response agency (e.g., the police department, the fire department or an emergency medical team).
More recently, security services have added video capability to their security alarm systems. Thus, in addition to transmitting an alarm notification signal, the security alarm system also transmits a video signal to the central station. Like the alarm notification signal, the video signal is transmitted from the secured location to the central station over a hardwire and/or wireless connection. While video does provide additional information, the value of that additional information is of limited value if it is not available to the appropriate emergency response agency or agencies and their highly trained professional emergency response personnel.
The present invention enhances security alarm systems, and security services in general, by providing secure realtime video and/or other realtime image information to the appropriate emergency response agency or agencies. The enhancement places realtime video and/or other image information directly into the hands of those who are called upon and trained to respond to potential emergencies, such as medical emergencies, fire, threats of violence and even acts of terrorism. These agencies and their personnel are then better informed. This, in turn, allows them to be better prepared in responding to and hopefully preventing such emergencies.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an enhanced security alarm system, and more generally, an enhanced security alarm service with realtime video and/or realtime imaging capability.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide the appropriate emergency response agency or agencies with realtime video and/or realtime image information so emergency response agency personnel are better informed with respect to a potential emergency.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide the appropriate emergency response agency or agencies with realtime imagery and/or other additional information to assist emergency response agency personnel in assessing a potential emergency and in making proper decisions regarding response strategies, manpower and equipment.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned and other objectives are achieved through a security system that includes an imaging device positioned at a secured location and means, associated with a central station, for receiving and processing realtime imagery which is generated by the imaging device and received over a communications link. The system also includes means, associated with an emergency response agency, for receiving, processing and displaying realtime imagery generated by the imaging device and received over a communications link from the central station.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned and other objectives are achieved through a security system that includes an imaging device positioned at a secured location and a server, which includes means for receiving realtime imagery from the imaging device. The system also includes a computer system associated with a central station, where the computer system comprises means for processing realtime imagery received from the server over a network connection. In addition, the system includes a computer system associated with an emergency response agency, where the computer system comprises means for processing and displaying the realtime imagery which is received over a network connection from the computer system associated with the central station.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned and other objectives are achieved by a method of securing a location. The method involves generating realtime imagery of a secured location and transmitting this realtime imagery to a security system central station over a network connection. The realtime imagery is then transmitted from the security system central station to an emergency response agency over a network connection. At the emergency response agency, the realtime imagery is displayed.